''Cyprinus carpio carpio'' is a
subspecies of the
common carp that is commonly found in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. They are native to much of Europe (notably the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
and
Volga Rivers) and can also be found in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
.
Mitochondrial DNA analysis shows a difference between ''C. carpio carpio'' and ''
Carpio carpio haematopterus''. They are
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...
in nature and feed on mollusks, insects, crustaceans and seeds.
Though dark in color, there are some wild caught specimens which are colored orange (maybe domesticated ones that are only released into the rivers). This subspecies has also been domesticated in European ponds for hundreds of years.
They are considered as an
invasive species in the state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and fishing them is encouraged to diminish their population.
References
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Cyprinid fish of Europe
Cyprinid fish of Asia
{{Cyprininae-stub